Study sustainability
If you are passionate about a sustainable future, so are we. The Sustainability Research Centre (SRC) is committed to teaching comprehension of the relationships between people, place, and change.
We adopt a transdisciplinary that has far-reaching possibilities for application in many careers and organizations.
The SRC is also responsible for delivering the undergraduate sustainability major and minor offered at USC within the School of Law and Society.
There are also a number of other relevant postgraduate programs offered at USC relating to sustainability within society.
Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students
Research students are fundamental to the success of the SRC and we have an impressive track record of HDR completions.
At the SRC we strive to provide:
- Support for emerging research scholars;
- Collegiate, stimulating, and challenging environment;
- Active involvement in current research discussions;
- Supervisory teams with broad skill bases; and
- Skills and capacity to work as part of trans-disciplinary teams.
Enrolments are now open for the Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts (Research) programs.
Please speak to any of the members if you are interested in researching evolving sustainability issues, such as coastal management, water resources, community development, rural landscape management, natural hazards, and climate change adaptation.
Congratulations
2022 HDR graduates
Pornsiri (Fa) Cheevapattananuwong
Thesis title: A Positive Transition for Local People in an Area of Rapid Economic Development: A Case Study of the Ban Pho and Bangkhla Districts, Chachoengsao Province, Thailand
Principal Supervisor: Prof Claudia Baldwin
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy
Jonathon Raikes
Thesis title: Disaster risk reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals: Pre-disaster governance for integrated management in Canada and Australia
Principal Supervisor: Prof Tim Smith
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Miguel F. Frohlich
Thesis title: 'Towards adaptive coastal management law: lessons from Australia and Brazil'.
Principal Supervisor: Prof Tim Smith
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Anna McKinlay
Thesis title: 'Societal influences on the dwelling size of Australia's suburban housing model'.
Principal Supervisor: Prof Claudia Baldwin
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Liam Mayo
Thesis title: 'Selves and Spaces: Hacking Culture in Postnormal Times'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Marcus Bussey
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Kerrie Pickering
Thesis title: 'Food security in an era of rapid social and ecological changed in Fiji'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Tristan Pearce
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Sarah Pye
Thesis title: 'Saving Sun Bears: Exploring the life of Dr Wong Siew Te'
Principal Supervisor: Dr Paul Williams
Completed: Doctor of Creative Arts
Dr Miguel F. Frohlich
Thesis title: 'Towards adaptive coastal management law: lessons from Australia and Brazil'.
Principal Supervisor: Prof Tim Smith
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Anna McKinlay
Thesis title: 'Societal influences on the dwelling size of Australia's suburban housing model'.
Principal Supervisor: Prof Claudia Baldwin
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Liam Mayo
Thesis title: 'Selves and Spaces: Hacking Culture in Postnormal Times'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Marcus Bussey
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Kerrie Pickering
Thesis title: 'Food security in an era of rapid social and ecological changed in Fiji'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Tristan Pearce
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy
Dr Sarah Pye
Thesis title: 'Saving Sun Bears: Exploring the life of Dr Wong Siew Te'
Principal Supervisor: Dr Paul Williams
Completed: Doctor of Creative Arts
Dr Hannah Dambo
Thesis title: 'A Study of Educational Resilience Amongst African Refugees in South East Queensland'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Marcus Bussey
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2020
Ms Kristin Emanuelsen
Thesis title: 'Importance of sewing to Inuit Women in the Canadian Arctic'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Tristan Pearce
Completed: Master of Arts, 2020
Dr Marcelle Holdaway
Thesis title: 'Corporate accountability, community, and gas fields in Australia: exploring the landscapes, transforming the landscapes'.
Principal Supervisor: A/Prof Sohail Inayatullah
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2020
Dr Jack Koci
Thesis title: 'Hillslope gully erosion in savanna rangelands tributary to the Great Barrier Reef: Catchment hydrogeomorphic processes, sediment and nutrient fluxes'.
Principal Supervisor: Prof Roy Sidle
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2020
Dr Flora Kwapena
Thesis title: 'Land reforms in Papua New Guinea: Will they empower the rural woman?' Principal Supervisor: Prof Jen Carter
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2020
Ms Isabelle Oude-Egberink
Thesis title: 'The impacts of farmer organisations for women in Preah Vihear, Cambodia.'
Principal Supervisor: Dr Chris Jacobson
Completed: Master of Arts, 2020
Dr Liubov Skavronskaya
Thesis title: 'Novelty in Memorable Tourism Experiences'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Brent Moyle
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2020
Dr Luke Verstraten
Thesis title: 'Improved design of roof drainage systems with box gutters, overflows and downpipes'
Principal Supervisor: Dr Graham Ashford
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2020
Dr Ximena Arango
Thesis title: 'Impacts of dolphin provisioning feeding on visitors’ intended pro-environmental attitudes, behaviours and actions in Tin Can Bay, South East Queensland'.
Principal Supervisor: Prof Bill Carter
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2019
Mr Lauchlan Bye
Thesis title: 'Development of Specialised Technology for use in Predictive Flood Modelling'
Principal Supervisor: Dr Helen Fairweather
Completed: Master of Science, 2019
Ms Renee Currenti
Thesis title: 'Adaptation to climate change in Nawairuku Village, Ra Province, Fiji'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Tristan Pearce
Completed: Master of Arts, 2019
Special congratulations to Renee who was awarded the Chancellor’s Medal
Dr Maureen Rhemann
Thesis title: 'Asymmetry. Disruption. Futures. A Depth and Layered Approach to Understanding the Futures of Change'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Sohail Inayatullah
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2019
Dr Thomas Wegener
Thesis title: 'Globalisation and the Sustainability of Small Manufacturers: Challenges Facing the Surfboard Artisans of Australia'.
Principal Supervisor: Prof Tim Smith
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2019
2018 SRC HDR graduates
Dr Kate English
Thesis title: 'Understanding climate change and adaptation in a third sector sustainability organisation'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Claudia Baldwin
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2018
Dr Nnenna Ike
Thesis title: 'Exploring affordable student accommodation in Australia: Towards an integrated planning approach'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Claudia Baldwin
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2018
Mr Eric Lede
Thesis title: 'Adapting to climate change in the context of multiple stressors in the Canadian Arctic'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Tristan Pearce
Completed: Master of Arts, 2018
Ms Valmae Rose
Thesis title: 'Vulnerability and power to shape the future'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Marcus Bussey
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2018
Congratulations to Dr Nnenna Ike. Photographed at the September 2018 Graduation ceremony.
links to 2018 thesis documents
2017 SRC HDR graduates
Dr Marta Botta
Thesis title: 'Exploration of internal and external indicators of social change in sustainable communities: A futures perspective'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Marcus Bussey
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2017
Dr Carmen Elrick-Barr
Thesis title: 'Understanding household adaptive capacity: case studies from coastal Australia'.
Principal Supervisor: Professor Tim Smith
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2017
Mr Gary Forsdike
Thesis title: 'Evaluating and Sustaining Efforts to Limit Nearshore Solid Waste Pollution in a Southeast Asian Island Community'.
Principal Supervisor: Prof Patrick Nunn
Completed: Master of Arts, 2017
Dr Victor MacGill
Thesis title: 'Convergence as an example of a medium scale acephalous group exploring ways to reduce structural violence'.
Principal Supervisor: Dr Marcus Bussey
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2017
Dr Colin Russo
Thesis title: 'Engaging Futures: Futures methods transforming governance'.
Principal Supervisor: Professor Sohail Inayatullah
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2017
Dr Canh Toan Vu
Thesis title: 'Barriers to enabling principles of uncertainty and controversy in urban flood decision-making in the context of climate change: The case of Quy Nhon city, Vietnam'.
Principal Supervisor: Professor Neil Powell
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2017
links to 2017 thesis documents
2016 SRC HDR graduates:
Dr Thalia Bohl-Van Den Boogaard
Thesis title: 'Indigenous business ventures and contemporary business planning at South Goulburn Island.'
Supervisors: Associate Professor Jennifer Carter, Dr Joanne Freeman and Dr Paul Manuell
Completed: Master of Arts, 2016
Dr Michael Duggan
Thesis title: 'Scaling up, scaling out, scaling in: Facilitating effective Education for Sustainability through a Decentralised Global Network.'
Supervisors: Professor Tim Smith and Dr Dana Thomsen
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2016
Dr George Freduah
Thesis title: 'Climate Change and Fisheries in Ghana: Trends and Associated adaptive strategies by Small Scale Fishers.'
Supervisors: Dr Pedro Fidelman and Professor Tim Smith
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2016
Dr Megan Marks
Thesis title: 'Visualising the Environment: the power of environmental art to encourage pro-environmental behaviour and engender a sense of place.'
Supervisors: Associate Professor Claudia Baldwin and Dr Lisa Chandler
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2016
Dr Caroline Osborne
Thesis title: 'The Potential of Social Capital to Contribute to Best Practice Urban Planning Outcomes.'
Supervisors: Associate Professor Claudia Baldwin and Associate Professor Dana Thomsen
Completed: Doctor of Philosophy, 2016
links to 2016 thesis documents
- Dr Scott Lieske
- Dr Sonia Marshall
- Dr Pasinee (Ja) Reopanichkul